Beam



Allg. 3? A BRAUN AL BEAM Filed June 22, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l mmm.

\ gaa /25 SB 21a 23A 25 l /lsa 2B INVENTORS VALFRED BRAUN By FREDERICK w.BRAuN umm/Mw -fM/w ATTORNEYS Allg. 3, 1948. A. BRAUN ET AL 2,446,457

- BEAM Filed June 22, 1944 2 Sheng-sheet 2 INVENTORS ALFRED BRAUN By FREDERICK W.BRAUN www ALM ATTO RN EY S Patented Aug. 3, 1948 BEAM , l Applicaties June z2, 19in-serial iva-541,590,

4Theinvention relates to beams or' other structural members andthe principal vobject; is;l to obtaina structure of high-strength. i

This l object is attained by.- employingyxlil'iangular-shaped webportions between the ilanges A of the beam. i A y Another -object of the invention is. to obtain a structure utilizing the .triangular web principle.

which maybe `constructed fromfat sheetmetal byv cutting the sheet to the desiredfconguration and then bending to form the sheet into aserles Figure 5 is a plan View ofthe sheet from which the web is made. f a The beamis made fromtwo metal sheets A and B which are shaped as shown in:-,Fig ure5 to form a series ofidentical isosceles triangles 9 I0, II, I2 andfIS'whichmaybe continued in series for whatever lengthdsdesired. Adjacentsides of triangles IIJ and II` are connected together by a quadrilateral I4. Adjacent bases of triangles II and I2 are connected by quadrilateral I5. Adjacent sides of triangles I2 and I3 are connected by quadrilateral I6 and adjacent bases of triangle I3 and the triangle of the next series by a quadrilateral I1. The unattached sides of the triangles are provided with trapezoidal flanges 22, t8, 2|, and 23 respectively, and the triangles themselves may be perforated if desi-red for lightness and, as shown, are each provided with a cylindrical hole I3 pressed out to form the circular -iiange 2B.

Each of the sheets A and B after being fashioned as described is then bent at the sides of each triangle so that the quadrilateral portions I4 and I6 remain in a common plane while the triangles Il), Il, I2 and I3 are bent into planes at an angle with one another as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Thus a rectangular beam is formed by combining the two bent sheets A and B and by using the subscripts A and B to designate corresponding portions of the two sheets the beam may be described as follows. The portions IIA and I 6A are in the top plane of the beam while the portions I4B and ISB are in the bottom plane of the beam. The portions ISA and I5B are adjacent each other and extend diagonally from the upper alerting. (c1. isa- 3p right tothe lowerleft of the beam (as viewed in Figure 3,). -Theportions I'lA and ITB are, adjalcent each otherandfextend from the upper .left tothe lower rightof the beam. `The yflanges IBA and .2IA ,extend in the left-handplaneof the beam Vwhile challenges IBBandUZIB extend in the, right-hand plane 'pf 'thebeam TheI flanges 22B and 23Bware inthe left-hand plane and the flanges 22A and. 23A` arein the right-hand pla-ne. It .willbe seen .thatthe only points. at which the` twobentsheets A andB contact are-:along the .lines of, the diagonalportions I5 andfllrspectively, ,and at'these points the two sections may be secured together by means of bolts-rivets, welding orlother suitablev meansA` To complete the structure it is preferabletohave. four angle bars 25 at eachof the four cornersofthe beam. These may befunited'rto thegotherportionsofgthe beam with which theycOntaCt inany suitable mannerl as by welding. ,Y A l" In the precedingldescription only one `unit, of

the beam structure is described, butthislmiay beV continued forwhatever lengthisdesiredfby a continuationoi theseries of the webs. and flanges in thesame ,relationship as alreadyv described. y 4

The beam ashereinbefore described has' a high degree. of strength. andy. rigidity in comparison with the amount of material formingthe structural elements thereof. The high strength is due primarily to the fact that the web portions are all of triangular shape and are so arranged as to mutually supplement and reinforce one another.

With the sheet metal construction as described, the beam may be simply manufactured and lends itself readily to modifications which permit beams Vto be constructed of different sizes and shapes. For example, it is not necessary that the cross section of the beam be a square but it may be of other rectangular shape with one dimension greater thanA the other, and, if desired, the beam may have shapes other than rectangular. It should also be understood that the perforation of the triangular webs may be other than disclosed and that the anges may be of a greater or less extent as described to give whatever structural strength is required in this portion of the beam.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. A structural member comprising a pair of sheets each bent into a series of triangular webs extending in diierent diagonal planes, an edge of each successive web of one sheet meeting a corresponding edge of each successive web of the other sheet along a diagonal line, with said edge of one sheet parallel to said edge of the other sheet, but with successive pairs of said edges at right angles to each other, and longitudinally extending members secu-red to said webs;

2. A structural member comprising a pair of sheets each bent into a series of triangular webs extending in different diagonal planes, an edge of the other sheet along a Vdi gonal line,

with said edge of one sheet parallel to said.;

edge of the other sheet, but with successive pairs of said edges at right angles to each other; and longitudinally extending angle .members se? cured at the corners of the strulct'urer formd'rby- 'said sheets.

3. A structural memlber co'rpri'singea-lp'airof" EYfof, the other sheet along a diagonal line, with sheets each bent into a series of triangularvvebs f extending in different diagonal planes,`an edge of .each successive web ofwonev sheetr meetf -4 "'s'id edge of one sheet parallel to said edge of the Zfither sheet, but with successive pairs of said iedges attright angles to each other, each of said .heetslsohavihg portions lying in the planes ofthe sides of said beam, and longitudinally 1 lEdit/endings-ngl".m'embers secured at the corners ofwthestructure formed by said sheets.

. 5' -nEFERfENoEsorr-ED The .following references are of recodir'the 

